Early Files - Valentine
by NegaDot
Summary: Everything you ever needed to know about Lucy's newest spirit companion, Valentine. (OC backstory) (Rated M for gore)
1. Chapter 1

Early Files - Valentine, part 1 (A Fairy Tail fanfic prequel)

Over 400 years ago, the dragons were at war. Some wished to coexist with mankind, others wished to eradicate it. This war gave rise to the use of magic known as dragon slaying. Certain dragons took on human pupils and taught them their own magic, something strong enough to stand up to others of their kind. However, things didn't go so smoothly. Some of these new powerful dragon slayers turned on their teachers. Thus, a cult of these mages was born with one purpose - Create something more powerful than themselves to end the war once and for all. With this weapon, whatever it may be, they would crush those who stood against them - human and dragon alike. They called themselves Angels, but the truth was far, far darker. The Angel cult built temples and laboratories alike. They performed horrendous, secret experiments in the name of their great cause. This is the story of one such experiment. His name was Valentine.

-

A young boy listened in horror as his parents spoke with strangers. He was pale with jet black hair and warm, brown eyes. They had come through the community before, taking various children and vagrants, none of whom were ever seen again. He could hear his mother crying and his father trying to be the voice of reason. They were poor farmers. The family was thin and becoming sickly with the latest famine. These strange men wore odd cloaks with golden emblems. They offered to buy the boy for a fair price, a price that would ensure food and medicine for his parents and little sister. His mother couldn't bare the thought at first, refusing adamantly, but each time these men came back, she had less vigor to fight with. This time, he sat in the next room with his ear to the wall, watching his infant sibling rest nearby.

"How can we possibly sacrifice one child to save another? It isn't right!", pleaded the mother. "Please reconsider our offer. I think you'll find the price has increased since our last visit", said a man calmly. The shuffle of paper sounded, then the father sighed. It was double their last offer. He leaned in close and whispered to his wife, sad yet logical. She looked at the number the strange man had written. Silence drifted in for several minutes. Finally, she said, "You'll look after him well, won't you?". The man grinned to his colleagues. "Of course, ma'am. We're training others to help end the war. He may fight when he's old enough, but for now he'll merely be an apprentice with three square meals a day and a warm bed and night", he replied, lying through his teeth.

In the next room, the boy sighed. It seemed the argument was over. Arrangements were being made. He smiled sadly at his young sister, sad he'd not likely see her again. He didn't believe what that man said. He wasn't sure what the truth was, but being a soldier wasn't it. A sinking feeling took over his small stomach as his father spoke about the details. Several minutes later, his father opened the door with a somber expression. He held a small bag of clothes in one hand. "Come with me, son. I have something for you to do", he said, not looking him in the eye. He turned and left the door open for the boy to follow. Knowing it was for the betterment of his family, the brave five year old obeyed. He stood in front of the strange men as if being inspected. "What is your name, boy?", asked their leader. "Valentine", replied the boy, holding the man's gaze evenly. He smiled wickedly as he looked him over. "Seem a strong, young lad. He'll work out nicely", he grinned, handing the boy's father money. Valentine's mother sat in the far corner, crying. She couldn't bare to watch him go or to say 'goodbye'. His father leaned down on one knee and grasped his shoulders firmly. "I'm so sorry it had to come to this...You know we love you." Valentine smiled softly. "It's all right, Father. If it will help all of you, I'll gladly go with them", said the child. His father's grip tightened as his hands began to shake. He clutched his son tightly as not to show him his tears. "Do as you're told. Stay strong. When you learn to write, make sure you send us a letter." Valentine nodded and hugged his father one last time. He was a good man, but not educated. One of the deciding factors was hat these men promised to properly school the lad.

That was the last time he ever saw his family or his home. The men took him far to the northeast, into a deep forest. Though nervous, he obeyed their orders like his father said. He was impressed with the sight of the Angel Temple in the distance. As they drew closer to the structure, his awe gradually turned to fear. This didn't look like a school or training ground. He entered the building with a dark bag over his head, keeping him from learning the secret way in (and out). He was handed off to several different people as they discarded his belongings, bathed him, and took measurements. Eventually, he ended up in a room with a few other children his age. They greeted him with pity rather than laughter. They already knew what this place was.

One boy, seemingly the leader of the group, approached with a kind smile. "Welcome to Hell. I'm Franky. What's your name?", he said, offering his hand. Shaking it, he replied, "Valentine". "Cool. We can call you Val", grinned Franky. A girl was watching them shyly from her bunk. She stepped onto the floor and said, "I like Valentine better." Franky sighed, annoyed. "What do you think, Val?". Valentine looked between them. It didn't take long to realize they were siblings. "It's always been Valentine", he replied coyly. "Fine. Valentine it is", said Franky. He pointed out the other children and named them all. At first, Valentine was confused by the greeting, "Welcome to Hell", but ti didn't take long to understand it. He met other children of various ages over the next few weeks. In the dead of night, he could hear their screams and sometimes he wouldn't see certain ones anymore. He didn't ask why. He knew, deep down, they were truly gone. He often wondered if he was next.

Over the next several years, many painful tests were performed on his young body. Blood samples, skin samples, even bone samples, were all taken without warning or anesthetic. Adults would simply appear and hold you down. Kicking and screaming only made it worse. Those that fought the hardest were severely punished. Despite the conditions, he held no grudge against the people that simply worked there. The one he learned to fear were the researchers and a few choice dragon slayers that used the children for horrid experiments and perverse amusement. He watched the boy that first greeted him, Franky, turn into a proverbial walking corpse. He realized they drugged the food to help control their subjects, so he refused to eat. One of the dragon slayers loved to pick on the boy, gorging himself with succulent foods in front of the sickly preteen and mocking him relentlessly. Valentine wondered how a creature as majestic as a dragon ever saw it fit to teach such a person magic, then he decided the power must have warped the man after. It mattered little in this dark, pain ridden existence.

-

A few more years passed and Franky was gone. His sister, too, had died, a victim to an experiment gone horribly wrong. Most of his roommates were gone now. His chamber was cold and empty apart from a few souls passing through here and there. He never did get the chance to write home. His 'handlers' said literacy was too much of a risk for their test subjects. They might get wise to what was in the notes and refuse to cooperate, not that they had a choice. One day, the man who had purchased him came into his room. He stood calmly with his hands folded neatly behind his back. He stared coldly at Valentine through his tinted glasses. "Valentine. It's been a while, hasn't it?", he asked smugly. "Yes, Master Xenophon", replied Valentine, avoiding eye contact. The man spoke with a thick foreign accent. He was clean shaven across his face and his head. The apron he wore was stained with all sorts of gore. "Good news, lad. You've been chosen for a special program", smiled Xenophon. Valentine shuddered. That statement was never a good thing. It was the last of many of his friends.

An hour later, the duo was in one of the labs, which looked to Valentine much more like a torture chamber. A few assistants stood ready nearby. Valentine stared at the stone floor, avoiding the glint of metal instruments on the tray nearby. Though he was now old enough to be called a man, he was far from free. His master stood in front of him and wrote into a notebook. "Now then. You're tissue shows great promise for what I have in mind. It shows resilience against various types of magic. You're perfectly suited for this experiment. Valentine stared into the darkness as the assistants disrobed him and cleansed his skin. He was used to this much. It only meant that several days of recovery were in the near future. Scars already decorated his body, a sure sign of his life here. He glanced up to notice a stranger in the room. A woman stood behind Xenophon and also took notes. "Chesed, this will by our test subject. His number is 5937524", stated the master. "And his name?", asked the lady. Xenophon glanced to her in question. "Valentine. You are the strange one, aren't you?" Turning, he looked at Valentine and said, 'This is my newest apprentice. Her name is Chesed. She's traditionally trained in celestial spirit magic. Do you know what that is?". Valentine nodded, unsure how that involved him. He would found out the hard way.

-

The horror went on for weeks. They strapped him down, always in that same room. The extracted fingernails and cut away bits of skin and flesh. They zapped him with electricity and various elemental magics. That was only the beginning. He was told nothing directly, but he could hear them whisper around him as he fought to stay conscious. He thought they were surely on a fool's errand. Magic could be forced into objects, but living tissue was another matter entirely. Even further fetched, they spoke about the celestial plane and transcending the flesh, whatever that meant. One day, he was dragged back to the lab. They tied him down as usual, but this time they tied him face down to the table. Intense pain wracked his body as a massive sheet of skin was cut from his back. Xenophon held it up triumphantly, just within Valentine's sight line. "Yes, this will do wonderfully! Now get it treated before it starts to rot. If we have to start over, his body won't yield many more sheets like this one", said the mad doctor. Chesed always watched him with pity, but did nothing to stop the madness.

The gaping wound was burned over to prevent bloodless. The agony held on for days as he was left alone in the cold chamber he called home. A week rolled by and he was summoned again. This time, they took his blood, a lot of it. He was so weak, he could barely see when it was over. This time, they left him alone for only a few days. When he was brought back into that hated chamber, a great vat of strange liquid was present. He heard his master cackling that the ink process had been a success. Valentine stared at the eerie mixture. So that was what they wanted his blood for. Today would be more pain, but a new kind. Several huge men came in and held him down so that he could hardly breathe. Xenophon warned him no to struggle. Valentine screamed as his master cut into his forearm and removed the radius bone. Blood spewed forth and connective tissue could be heard snapping with the strain. It was finally free. Chesed hid her disgust as it was handed to her to for processing.

Valentine threw up from the intensity of his agony, but it wasn't over yet. His shadow wildly danced on the walls as they cut out part of his spine, purposefully leaving the nerves in tact, and the shin bone of one leg. He was kept under supervision for recovery this time, not out of love, but out of investment. Xenophon did NOT want to start over when he'd come this far. He crowed proudly when he came to check on his subject. He told Valentine what he was in for. His radius was being carved into a key. His shin had been dried and ground into a power, then mixed with paste to make paper pages. His blood had been enchanted into an arcane form ink. They were making a book that would bind him to both the earthly world and the celestial plane. That statement alone explained why they needed part of his spine. After all, all books have one.

-

When they deemed him fit to continue, he was mere phantom. He wished for death, but couldn't really tell if he was even alive at that point. The severity of the experiments and procedures left him numb to most pain now. That was the only blessing of this mess, but it wouldn't be enough to save him. It was time to make the transition. He lied on the table, strapped in and staring at the ceiling with empty eyes. "I suppose you've wondered why I made sure your spinal cord was left unharmed. Well, that much is simple. You'll need the ability to move freely once you've become a spirit", explained Xenophon, circling him casually. Valentine closed his eyes, grateful it was almost over. Chesed laid the carved key over his heart and whispered, "I'm so sorry" as the final experiment began. It was not quick and it was not pleasant. A pain unlike anything he'd experienced or even imagined shattered his sanity as his cells began to break down. Every molecule in his body was fighting to keep its physical form. One by one, his individual atoms began ascending to the spirit realm. The fact that was suspended between worlds is the only thing that kept him alive. It was like dying a million times over and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He could make out the shape of Chesed in the far corner, covering her mouth in terror at what she had helped do. He could her her screaming, pleading to stop the experiment, but Xenophon just laughed and told her it was far too late for a change of heart. She watched as Valentine's pale skin lost any remaining color. She could see his eyes rolling back into his head. Their brown hue was gone. Now they shone white.

-

Everything went black, then bright white. Valentine struggled to open his eyes. Every fiber of his being hurt, but somehow he was now on the floor, on his belly. He managed to lift his head just enough to see a massive boot in front of him. He passed out quickly. When revived once more, he was being cared for by strangers. Some of them had very odd features indeed. "How did he get here?", asked one. "Is he even allowed to stay?", inquired another. Finally, he sat up weakly. A large man with mustache smiled at him. "I'd like to know how you got here", said the man. "Where am I?", asked Valentine, holding his head. "The court of the Spirit King himself", said a girl with kind eyes and lamb's horns. "Are you all right?", she asked with concern. "On your feet", said the king. Valentine was amazed he could do so. He looked over himself carefully. His ragged, blood stained tunic had been replaced by fine clothes in white and gold. A necklace with a single star as a pendant hung from his neck. A light violet coat hung from his shoulders. "What is your name?", demanded the king. "Valentine", he replied humbly. The king seemed to smirk. "I can't believe that crazy bastard actually did it. Aries, see to our newest family member." With that, he left them alone as other servants trailed after him.

"Is that your name?", he asked shyly, looking at the blushing lady beside him. She nodded coyly. "Leo will be surprised when he gets back", she said with a faint grin. She led the confused and weak Valentine to food and rest. She would have plenty of time to explain his new home later. For once, it seemed the pain was finally over, but again, the universe would prove him wrong. He was about to take a bite of the finest food he'd seen in his entire life when he was ripped from his new existence. The last thing he saw was Aries telling him not to panic; He was being summoned.

-

Everything flashed and a new kind of Hell began. Xenophon had tried to summon Valentine. Being that he was no ordinary spirit, the key itself was useless without a sacrifice from its user - Blood. The crazed researcher's blood was not enough. Instead of a spirit awaiting orders, a blood mass landed on the stone floor at his feet. "What is this?!", demanded Xenophon. Chesed frantically tried to help the agony in front of her, but there was nothing she could do. The summoning had rejected the mad man's tainted blood, but as a spirit, Valentine could no longer die, so he simply had to suffer through it until the summoning ran out of time.

-

When he arrived back at the spirit world, he clawed madly at his skin, which was now in tact once more. "What's wrong?! What happened?!", pleaded Aries, trying to calm him and catch his flailing arms. Once he saw her, he realized he was back in one piece. He looked himself over in panic, panting with the shock of what had happened. "How long until that happens again?", he asked nervously. Aries shook her head. "I don't know. Time passes slower here. Minutes there could be seconds here. It's - "

-

He never heard the end of that sentence. He was standing back in that horrible lab again. Xenophon looked at him with a wicked smile of triumph. "At last! I have it figured out!", he crowed. Valentine slowly turned his head to see what had happened. Chesed laid on the ground, bleeding out from her throat. The bone key was nowhere to be seen. Valentine glared at his former master. "What have you done?!" Xenophon looked at him with wonder. "You dare speak that way to me? I created you!" Ignoring the insane researcher, Valentine rushed the side of the fallen apprentice. "Chesed, hold on! He did this, didn't he?", he seethed. She looked at him with sorrow, unable to reply. As he gathered her into his arms, something strange happened. He could see the blood flow stemming from her wound, then he himself coughed deeply, spewing his own blood forth. Her throat began to close and his started to open. A faint glow surrounded them as this happened. She gulped down a deep breath as her airway sealed once more. He clutched his throat as his fine new clothes stained red. He new he wouldn't die, but it still hurt like he was going to. Chesed sat up on her own and stared at him with tears in her eyes. "You saved me...Thank you", she uttered in awe, hugging him tightly. "Please, go home now", she whispered, pulling his key from her blood pool.

He only remained long enough to see her viciously attack Xenophon before he vanished back to the other realm again. When she called him out again, days had passed in our world, though little time had transpired in the spirit realm. His throat was still badly damaged. Chesed was in the woods, some distance form the temple, as it could be seen in its entirety. "I won't keep you long. I can see you're hurting yet again because of me...I'm so, so sorry. I never thought about the consequences of what we were trying to do. I guess your only consolation is that you'll live long after we're all burning in Hell." Valentine tried to speak, but it only caused him to cough and bleed heavier. Pressing her fingers against the wound, Chesed grinned faintly. "Don't speak. You'll heal in time. I'm just sorry you have to feel the pain that long...Look, Xenophon is dead...I killed him." She held his key in her palm. "I rescued your key. No one can summon you without it...I wish I had thought to grab the book. Maybe then I could figure out how to reverse all this...But don't worry! I'll try for the rest of my life and if I fail, I'll pass the task to my children should I have any." She stroked his face lovingly as he started fading back to the spirit world. "We'll keep you safe", was the last thing she said through tears as she watched him go. It wouldn't be until many generations later that he would be recognized as a person instead of a story again...

-

To be Continued...


	2. Chapter 2

Early Files - Valentine, part 2 (A Fairy Tail fanfic prequel)

More than 350 years had passed with little interaction with the human world. Valentine eventually assumed he was no longer wanted or maybe his key had been lost or damaged. Either way, it mattered little. He'd grown accustomed to his new life as a spirit and he assumed there was no returning to human form. The time he had was used to explore his new home and meet new friends. Then, one day, a strange sensation rushed through his veins. It was happening again; He was being summoned.

Valentine squinted into the bright sunlight, scanning for whoever had called him. A woman was on the ground, bleeding badly. It didn't take long to put it all together. He crouched beside the girl where he had appeared, standing in her blood. Rolling her to her side, he caught a good look at her face. She had similar features to Chesed. She had to be a relative. She'd been stabbed and assumably robbed. A cart was nearby, torn to shreds. "Who are you?", she asked weakly. He offered a kind smile and replied, "Valentine. Don't worry. You're going to be all right." He studied his powers in celestial plane and was now better able to use them. He placed his hand over the wound, sealing it with a faint glow. As he did so, an exact replica of the wound appeared in the same spot on his own body. The woman stared at him with grateful and mystified eyes. "I guess the old tales are true...Thank you", she said, sitting up. Valentine grinned faintly despite the pain. He simply held his wound without fuss as he helped her to her feet.

"I thought Chesed gave up on me", he ventured. The woman sent him a curious look. "Chesed?...Oh! The one who saved you!...She's gone, Valentine. She died a long time ago", said the woman. Valentine's expression flickered as he tried to process the information. It made sense. The last person he saw was Chesed's daughter and who knows how long ago that was? Offering her hand, she said, "I'm descended from her, though. I was always told that white key was a family treasure. I'd heard the stories, but I thought that's all they were...Stories...Forgive my rudeness. My name is Ismene. How did you get here?". He accepted the gesture and replied, "Your blood called me." She looked to where she had laid and nodded. "I see. I suppose this is why father made me promise to carry your key with at all times", she offered.

She finally noticed he now held her injuries. "Are you all right?!", she panicked. Valentine chuckled, "I'm fine. It will heal. As a spirit, I'm in no mortal peril." Ismene frantically helped him to a stump beside he road. "At least sit down! You poor thing, you must be in pain!", she cried. He nodded faintly. "It's all right. I'm used to it", he assured. She stared at him with angry eyes. "Liar! No one is used to pain, no matter what they've been through!", she argued. Valentine tried to hide a smile. Ismene reminded him much of Chesed's daughter so many years ago. They sat and talked for a short while before he returned home. He asked what year it was and spoke of Chesed fondly. She told him how far from that dark place his key, and Chesed's bloodline, had traveled.

When he faded, Ismene was determined to repay his kindness. She ran home and told her father of the miraculous ordeal. He stared mindfully into the fire as she spoke. "Yes, the tales are true. I'm glad he was there to save you. Make sure you thank him later", he said. She stared at the white key in her hands in awe. How was this possible? "But Papa, I'm no mage", she sighed. He turned and offered a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're not practiced, but the power is obviously within you. It's in our blood", he said. He quietly pulled up a floor board and retrieved a small box. He sat across from his daughter and slid it toward her. "In this box are the keys handed down to each generation. I never had much talent for them, but I have a feeling you'll be able to use them." She opened the box and looked at the few silver keys within. Beneath them was a bundle of papers. "What is all this?", she inquired, trying to read the faded text. "It's research", replied her father calmly. "For what?", she asked, meeting his eyes. He sighed and stared darkly into the distance. "Papa?" Turning, he told her the truth. Valentine's tale was no mere bedtime story. Many of the details had been lost, but he told her what he knew. Chesed, their ancestor, had saved him from some horrible fate and had spent her life looking for a way to turn him human. The fact that was his original form was no longer recalled.

When he'd finished speaking, Ismene again stared at the key in her hands. Sadness poured from her eyes. She was a young woman, around twenty years old. She was engaged to be wed in an arranged marriage later that year, but for now, her time was her own. She did what she could to translate and decipher the notes from the box. She would occasionally call Valentine just to ask questions. Over many, many years, the two became friends and one day, he told her the truth about his origins. She was devastated. Chesed had been no hero, only a woman trying to repay her sins. Ismene grew older and raised a family, but she always held onto Valentine's key, stating that her daughter did not have the power to properly handle it. The rite of handing it down would skip a generation. Over the years she taught him to read and write the current language. Chesed and her daughter had schooled him in the old tongue and he often helped translate the notes for her, but without his book, there was little hope.

-

Many years later, Ismene was now an old woman. Her children had grown and she now had grandchildren. Occasionally the kids would see the pale man through a window and ask questions, but they never got a straight answer. She was waiting for one of them to show promise. One day, her granddaughter, Kaur, was playing outside of her house. She was around six years old. She had seen Valentine a few times. He would smile and wave, but her father forbade them to speak. He didn't like or understand magic. Ismene was said that her daughter married such a man, but what could she do? Thankfully, Kaur took after her mother's side. Her deep blue-green hair hung across her pale golden eyes. She would sometimes ask her grandmother about the pale man. Ismene was rather amused by all this. The young Kaur seemed to envision him as some kind of prince, there to rescue any damsel in distress. The stories her mother told of Valentine only strengthened those ideals.

One summer, Kaur's parents had to travel out of town for a funeral. Her paternal grandfather had passed, so they left the child with Ismene. She fell one day while playing, scuffing her knee. Seeing no harm, Ismene waved Valentine forward from their conversation. He kneeled down with a warm smile. The young girl blushed shyly in front of him. She'd never seen him so close before. He was very handsome, she thought. He somehow kneeled her knee to her amazement. He chuckled as she thanked him with a hug. He saw her a few more times that summer, but he worried for Ismene. She was getting on in years and couldn't afford to keep wasting her blood on calling him just to visit. He called her attention to this detail and they held a long discussion.

By the time Kaur's parents returned, she wore a white key on a chain around her small neck. Her father was furious, but there was nothing he could against family tradition. Apparently Kaur had played with some of Ismene's silver keys and showed promise. Thus, she was chosen as the heir. She could hear her parents argue that night. "I thought I made it clear I didn't want that THING in my house!", yelled her father. "Darling, please, you'll wake Kaur", hushed her mother. "I don't care if she hears what I have to say! She should know that thing is no fairy tale. That's no savior, whatever your mother told you growing up! It's a monster! A parasite that feeds off the blood of innocent girls!", he bellowed. In the next room, Kaur held the key tightly in her small hands. Valentine was no monster... "You can't demonize everything you don't understand! That poor soul is kind and generous. He'll look after our daughter when we can't. I will NOT let you take that security away from her", stated her mother.

-

The next day, it was settled. Kaur could keep her new found keys so long as Ismene trained her to use them properly. Her father wasn't happy about it, but he allowed it so long as no spirits appeared inside his house. Her mother was glad Valentine had found a new friend. As Kaur grew, they often played in the woods nearby. She told him stories about the villagers and he told her fantastic tales about the past. It never really registered with the girl that she aged while he remained the same, eternally a young adult. When she began to come of age, people began to whisper, which only increased her father's ire. She had a little sister now, who Valentine was also fond of. He looked after both them with great care whenever he was within our world.

Though he had watched Kaur grow up, he never noticed the change in her actions toward him. She held his hand tightly at Ismene's funeral. That was when it finally hit him. She was no longer a child. He did what he could to keep a 'safe' distance from her, both physically and emotionally, but both of them were hopelessly spiraling closer as time went on. She was seventeen now and very lovely. She'd become quite girly, often wearing ribbons or lace. She braided her long hair into various fashions each day to suit her mood. Her father made a point to remind her daily that Valentine was not human. He knew what was happening, even if Kaur herself was unaware of it. Her mother held no opinion, simply saying to let things be as they should.

One spring day, Kaur waded in the stream, catching flowers that floated from along the water. Valentine stared at her radiance in the warm sunlight. He hated that he had to bleed to call him, but he always took on the cut or scratch as penance. It was getting more awkward to do so, though. For some reason, his face always felt hot when he touched her skin. She would shy her face, but it seemed to be mutual, whatever it was. A few weeks ago, Kaur had fallen down from some high rocks. He'd immediately taken on her pain. Now, he sat and talked casually, unable to move without pain. Kaur hated to see him suffer in her place, so she often asked why his power was the way it was. Finally giving in, he told her. Every detail only caused her to shed more tears. How could someone so gentle go through something so horrible and still come out with a smile? Eventually, Valentine, too, started to cry, not for himself, but for the tears he saw on that angelic face. He hid such a sad face, then suddenly it all clicked and everything made sense. He was in love...

He ignored his revelation for months, simply trying to suppress it, but it was slowly becoming clear that he was not alone with such emotions. He had a duty, though. He couldn't drag someone down with him. He refused to let Kaur waste her life pining for him. He couldn't bare the thought of watching her wither away alone here while he remained young in spirit plane. Kaur had been talking with her mother who told her only to follow her heart. It was turning to spring once more. She was eighteen now, old enough to make her own decisions.

She fretted near Valentine, unsure how to say what she felt. Finally, she started with, "Do you remember when we were here at this stream last spring? You told me about where you came from..." He nodded, confused, but grinning kindly. "I didn't tell you at the time, but hearing your story broke something deep inside my heart...", she trailed. She stared into the dirt, too shy to face him. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have given so many details. I didn't mean to upset you", he offered. They stood a mere two feet apart, each trying to decide which direction to step in. "It's all right. You had no say in what happened to you...But I made a promise to myself that day and I'm glad I've been able to keep it", she said, smiling faintly. "Promise?", he repeated. Taking a stand against her 'damsel in distress' persona, she met his gaze evenly. "I will never let you bleed for me again", stated Kaur, a determined look in her eyes. Valentine smiled softly at the strong face before him. "That's very considerate of you, but don't worry about me. I can't die. It's a lot easier for me to take on any injuries you might have than to watch you suffer with them", he uttered. "But that isn't fair", she said, her voice breaking. He looked into her eyes and saw tears forming rapidly. "I don't want to see you get hurt, either", she said, tears starting to fall.

He took a deep breath and stepped closer, standing directly in front of her. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, he replied, "I would gladly die a thousand deaths than see you harmed." That was her breaking point. She rushed into his arms and sobbed whole-heartedly into his shoulder. He held her close, letting her get it all out. It felt good to hold her so near. She was so warm and the mere touch of her skin both calmed and terrified him all at once. Could it be true? Nearly 400 years after his tragic demise, had he truly found love? Kaur cried deeply. It just wasn't fair. Why had someone so gentle gone through so much? Every memory she had of him, even when she was a young girl, he always held that kind smile. How could grin like that? She didn't understand. He, more than anyone she'd met, had reason to be bitter, but he wasn't. He didn't blame his parents for selling him off. He didn't blame her ancestor for helping to kill him. He didn't even seem to hold a grudge against Xenophon, the monster that created him.

Then, for the first time, she felt his tears. Her kindness had broken his will to hide. A single tear dripped down the side of her face that was not her own. She pulled gently away from his embrace, searching his face. She wiped his eyes and offered a kind smile. "You're not alone anymore", she grinned. Trying to regain control of his emotions, he smiled back at her, the sort of broken smile only the worst tormented could muster. "Don't waste your life trying to save mine", he said softly. She sighed lightly. He was so stubborn. "Don't be silly. As long as we're together, not a single day will ever be wasted", she stated. Now it was her turn to wear the brave smile in the face of his horrible past. Unable to bare it, he grasped her face and carefully pulled her into a kiss. For once, she didn't turn red at his touch, instead simply melting into his arms. There was no telling what her father would say when he found out, but she didn't care.

When their lips parted, each stared breathlessly. Had that really just happened? And if it did, what would they do now? Shyly stepping back, Valentine bowed his head. "Forgive me. I shouldn't have", he said apologetically. He froze as Kaur slid her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "You don't have to be afraid of me or for me. Everything will be all right...Aren't you tired of fighting all alone?", she uttered, not looking into his face. She kept her cheek close to his chest, trying to hide her redness. Her heart sank at the same time...There no was heartbeat to meet her own. He stood in silence, searching for an answer. "I know I am", she said shyly. "I'm not human", he uttered solemnly. "I don't care", replied Kaur without hesitation. His hands trembled as he fought the urge to embrace her. "I'll never get any older than this...", he trailed. She leaned back gently and stared into his eyes with her heart on the line. "Do you really want to push me away? Don't you think you deserve to be happy after all this time?" The first question could be interpreted as selfish, but not the second. She would bare a broken heart if he rejected her, but she mourned for his happiness, not her own.

He peered back into those honest eyes that desperately awaited an answer. "Kaur...I'm not really alive...", he stated sadly. "What are you saying? Of course you are. You're here. You feel joy and sadness, experience laughter and pain. Isn't that life?", she pleaded. He shied his gaze, fighting his feeling of obligation. "I can't die...Doesn't that make me some sort of monster?", he ventured. She reached out and gently turned his face in her palm. Once he could see her kind smile, she said, "That makes you an angel, not a monster. So what if you can't die? I don't want you to", she said whole-heartedly. It was too much to bare. He cupped his hand over her own and fell into those pale golden eyes without remorse. "This...isn't really allowed", he said lamely. "Humans and spirits...You'll be a heretic in your world and there's no telling what they'll say in mine." She sighed, but maintained her grin. "We'll just have to teach them there's another way...Besides, you were human once. Maybe you can be again", she said.

His eyes grew wide in near panic. He lowered her hands from his face. Becoming quite serious, Valentine said, "No. I won't see another life wasted. Without the book, it's hopeless." He glanced at his palm. He was starting to fade away. His time was up again. Kaur held his gaze evenly. "Then we'll find the book", was the last thing he heard before returning home. However, fate is often unkind to those who try to fight it the hardest. They only had a few precious months together to enjoy their newfound love. Kaur never found his book. Instead, she died, protecting her little sister from local monsters known as 'soul stealers'. It would be years before he found out what happened to her. He hoped that it was a simple matter of her father destroying his key, but he was wrong. He lost all hope of becoming human again. Then, one day his new master stumbled across the place that created him. She now had his book and his key. There was no telling if it could be done and even if it could, what he do with his returned life now that Kaur was gone?

-

The End (For now) Find out more about Valentine in "Induced Silence" and "Lost Echoes"!


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